In a bit of a surprise twist, Michigan State parted ways with Alan Haller on Thursday afternoon.
After three-plus years as Michigan State's athletic director, the university and Haller decided to go separate ways as changes desperately needed to be made after the football program had fallen into mediocrity under his watch and the rest of the athletic department suffered because of it.
While this move is a surprise to a lot of people, it was one that was needed and it will provide the athletic department a fresh start that was necessary in the NIL era.
Tom Izzo and deputy AD Jennifer Smith will act as co-athletic directors in the meantime while a national search is conducted.
As the university conducts a national search, here's what the new AD needs to bring to the table.
1. Ability to understand and utilize NIL
Let's face it, Michigan State has some very wealthy donors and for some reason, the NIL department seems to fall behind. Sure, guys like Mat Ishbia and Dan Gilbert donate to the university and other major donors help with NIL, but it felt like Haller and the athletic department were way behind the times in this regard.
How do you get elite athletes to East Lansing to improve the two major money-making sports? You offer great NIL packages. That's something that hasn't quite hit under Haller.
Understanding and mastering the world of NIL needs to be a priority for the new AD.
2. Upgrades to the revenue sports
How often have we heard of upgrades going on around campus with other facilities like the proposed district that would give gymnastics, wrestling, and other non-revenue sports a brand new home meanwhile Spartan Stadium looks like a prison from the outside? While it's fine to give the non-revenue sports upgrades, the football and basketball -- and now hockey -- programs need to be prioritized. If they make money, everyone makes money.
Unfortunately, the football program has fallen on some hard times and that needs to be addressed.
These upgrades also have to mean compensation increases for coaching staffs to compete with the best football and basketball programs in the nation.
It's time to put the revenue sports first and let the rest take care of itself. The university doesn't see a ton of success when either of those programs suffer.
3. Holding others accountable
I don't know how else to put it, but Michigan State became somewhat of a doormat under Haller. We saw other programs (namely Michigan and Central Michigan) wrong the Spartans and yet Haller did nothing about it but release an emotionless statement saying that he's looking into it.
There was the tunnel incident, there was the "stomping" following this past year's Michigan game in Ann Arbor where Haller said that an MSU staffer had been potentially assaulted, and there was the Central Michigan debacle where they allowed Connor Stalions on their sideline for the 2023 season opener. None of those situations resulted in any punishments because Haller didn't press for them.
It's time we get an athletic director with a spine who will stand up for this university and won't let other schools just walk all over the Spartans.